Former Canadian Olympic snowboarder Ryan Wedding has been arrested after evading authorities for years, according to U.S. officials. The 44-year-old was wanted for allegedly leading a large transnational drug-trafficking organization accused of moving enormous quantities of cocaine across the U.S.-Mexico border. Investigators claim that Wedding oversaw a drug pipeline capable of importing approximately 60 metric tons of cocaine annually into the Los Angeles area, utilizing semitrucks operating from Mexico.
The FBI placed Wedding on its Ten Most Wanted list in March, offering a $15 million reward for information leading to his arrest or prosecution—one of the highest bounties set for a fugitive with Canadian ties. FBI Director Kash Patel publicly likened Wedding to infamous cartel leaders such as Pablo Escobar and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, noting both the vast volume of drugs moved and the violence linked to the organization.
Wedding was apprehended Thursday night in Mexico, where he had reportedly been hiding for over a decade. Following his arrest, he was transported to the U.S. for prosecution and is expected to make his first court appearance on Monday. The details surrounding the arrest have not been disclosed by officials due to an ongoing investigation, but Wedding was seen in video footage released by the FBI, appearing handcuffed while being led by agents.
Authorities remain on the lookout for additional individuals connected to Wedding’s alleged criminal enterprise. During meetings in Mexico, Patel confirmed that he returned with two detainees, one of whom was a Canadian citizen who surrendered at the U.S. embassy, and another individual who was on the FBI's most-wanted list and had been taken into custody by Mexican authorities.
Further enhancements to the case were observed in recent raids carried out in Mexico City and the state of Mexico, where U.S. officials seized dozens of high-end motorcycles valued at around $40 million, alongside other items such as vehicles, artwork, and reportedly, two Olympic medals. Patel emphasized the magnitude of the operation against Wedding, stating that his cartel, linked to the Sinaloa Cartel, was responsible for flooding narcotics into North America and had resulted in numerous fatalities among the youth.
RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme expressed gratitude for the collaboration between U.S. and Canadian law enforcement in capturing Wedding, noting this as a crucial step in enhancing public safety. Additionally, Canadian Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree praised Wedding's arrest, indicating it as a significant advancement in combating the dangers posed by organized crime and illicit drugs.
Wedding, who represented Canada in snowboarding at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, has been accused of steering a narcotics empire that investigators deem one of the most prolific and violent drug-trafficking organizations globally. New indictments allege that he ordered the murder of a federal witness, who was fatally shot to prevent testimony against him. Authorities have revealed that Wedding used a Canadian website called “The Dirty News” to publicly identify the victim.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated that Wedding faces separate drug trafficking charges pending in Canada which date back to 2015. Wedding had also previously been convicted in the U.S. for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, leading to a prison sentence in 2010.
